In defending food safety procedures and practices to an inspector who is challenging them, it can be easy (and even tempting) to give in to the inspector's wishes. It can help quell arguments or awkward moments, and perhaps allow an embarrassing moment to get lost in the dust by moving the inspection forward.

Yet, this is also the way to commit yourself to "giving away the store"—that is, agreeing to changes in policies, procedures, practices, and/or people with which you do not really agree, or which might cost more time and money than is proportional to the issue at hand. Such changes also may not really solve the underlying issue or root cause, regardless of whether or not the inspector has identified these accurately.